Carboxymethyl cellulose-based hydrogel film combined with berberine as an innovative tool for chronic wound management.

Polysaccharide-based hydrogels are achieving remarkable performances in chronic wounds treatment. In this work, a carboxymethyl cellulose-based hydrogel film was developed to support skin repair. The hydrogel was loaded with berberine, a polyphenolic molecule endowing antioxidant and cytoprotective features. The film was physico-chemically characterized and in vitro tested on keratinocytes and fibroblasts subjected to oxidative stress. The biocomposite showed high thermal stability (onset decomposition temperature 245 °C) and significant fluid uptake performances, both in free conditions (up to 6510%) and under external pressure (up to 3400%). Moreover, it was able to control oxidative stress and inflammation markers involved in wound chronicity. Keratinocytes hyperproliferation, features that normally hamper injury restoration, was reduced of 25%. Our results showed that the combination of berberine and hydrogel provides a synergic improvement of the material properties. The biocomposite represents a promising candidate for dermatological applications against oxidative stress at the chronic wound site, promoting the healing process.

Effect of red thyme oil (Thymus vulgaris L.) vapours on fungal decay, quality parameters and shelf-life of oranges during cold storage.

This work has been aimed at studying the effect of red thyme oil (RTO, Thymus vulgaris L.) on the shelf-life and Penicillium decay of oranges during cold storage. RTO vapours significantly reduced (P ≤ 0.05) the percentage of infected wounds, the external growth area and the production of spores in inoculated orange fruit stored for 12 days at 7 °C in a polypropylene film selected for its appropriate permeability. Among the RTO compounds, p-cymene and thymol were the most abundant in packed boxes at the end of cold storage. The RTO vapours did not affect the main quality parameters of the oranges, or the taste and odour of the juice. The results have shown that an active packaging, using RTO vapours, could be employed, by the citrus industry, to extend the shelf-life of oranges for fresh market use and juice processing.

Data on glycerol/tartaric acid-based copolymer containing ciprofloxacin for wound healing applications.

This data article is related to our recently published research paper "Exploiting a new glycerol-based copolymer as a route to wound healing: synthesis, characterization and biocompatibility assessment", De Giglio et al. (Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces 136 (2015) 600-611) [1]. The latter described a new copolymer derived from glycerol and tartaric acid (PGT). Herein, an investigation about the PGT-ciprofloxacin (CIP) interactions by means of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) acquired in Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) mode and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) was reported. Moreover, CIP release experiments on CIP-PGT patches were performed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) at different pH values.

Exploiting a new glycerol-based copolymer as a route to wound healing: Synthesis, characterization and biocompatibility assessment.

The use of biocompatible materials based on naturally derived monomers plays a key role in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. In this paper we describe the synthesis of a new low molecular weight copolymer, based on glycerol and l-tartaric acid, useful to develop biocompatible dermal patches with drug delivery properties. The copolymer's chemical composition was assessed by FT-IR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), (1)H NMR ((1)H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) and XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), while its molecular weight distribution was estimated by SEC (size exclusion chromatography). Copolymer thermal properties were studied by TGA (thermogravimetric analysis). Biological evaluations by MTT assay and SEM (scanning electron microscopy) observations performed with murine fibroblasts and human keratinocytes (HaCaT) revealed a good compatibility of the proposed copolymer. Ciprofloxacin was selected as model drug and its release was evaluated by HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography), showing that the new copolymer supplied promising results as drug delivery system for wound healing applications. Furthermore, investigations on Skin-Mesenchymal stem cells (S-MSCs) behaviour and gene expression showed that the copolymer and its combination with ciprofloxacin did not affect their stemness. In this regard, the fabrication of dermal patches with new, low cost materials for local treatment of skin infections represents an attractive strategy in order to bypass the worrying side effects of systemic antibiotic therapy. Overall, the performed physico-chemical characterization, drug release test and biological evaluations showed that this new copolymer could be a promising tool for the in situ delivery of bioactive molecules during skin lesions treatment.